1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices which allow a user to pick up balls from the ground without substantial bending at the waist, and more particularly to an improved ball retrieval and storage device for picking up and storing tennis balls.
2. Description of the Prior Art
At one time many tennis players going to a tennis court for a practice session would take a bucket containing a large number of balls. Individual practice and teaching lessons generally involved a repetitive hitting of a large number of tennis balls and in some instances such practice sessions involve the use of machines for mechanically serving the balls to student players. Ultimately, the balls must be gathered from the ground into a receptacle to hold them before they are hit again. The job of retrieving balls requires a considerable amount of stooping and bending effort and time, and the time which is lost must be subtracted from that available for practice and play. The Applicant is successor and interest to U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,465 for a ball retrieving and storage device for picking up balls from the ground without substantial bending at the waist. Applicant has made improvements to one of the embodiments of the ball retrieving and storage device as disclosed in the aforesaid U.S. patent, which eliminates some of the shortcomings. In particular, Applicant has made improvements to the ball retrieval and storage device in the construction of the ball retrieval and storage device bottom frame and the use of an alternative material having elastic memory.
Originally, the ball retrieval and storage device was a wire mesh container with the moving parts being constructed of wire or coated wire in the form of rods. Over time, the method of use as described hereafter would cause the wire rods which comprise the gate structure to deform in shape and thereby lessen the efficacy of the ball retrieval and storage device. Still further, the spot welds securing the bottom frame member would weaken with use over time due to repeated contact with the ground when being forced over the tennis balls. Applicant's improvements have addressed these problems.